Sunday, September 21, 2008

Water - Pattern III of the Elements Sock Collection

Introducing Water, the third pair of sock designs based on the classical elements. Once again, two designs based on a single element are combined in a single pattern purchase. One design is simple and easily memorized for portable knitting and the other design is more complex. Stitch patterns for both designs are in both charted and written out forms.

The first design, Raindrops on the Window, is fast and easy. The stitch pattern depicts the patterns raindrops make as they run down a window, occasionally being swept sideways by a gust of wind, some of them dripping down alone, others joining with more raindrops and becoming bigger. This design is fun to knit and will work up well in both solid and handpainted sock yarns. Shown in Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock Lightweight in the Blue Moonstone colorway, knit at 8 stitches to the inch in stockinette stitch on US 1's (2.25mm).

The second design dedicated to Water is Mountain Stream. Every Winter snow falls in the mountains and every Spring and Summer, as temperatures rise, the snow melts and runs down the mountain. It begins as a small trickle but soon forms streams. These streams occur every year, meandering downhill, around rocks and over the landscape, sparkling in the sunlight. Farther down the mountain the streams converge and become raging rivers, feeding lakes, providing water to the people and animals who live in the area, and entertaining rafters. This design, while more involved than the previous one, has a rhythm to it as the crossed stitches "flow" back and forth over the purled background. It will show to it's best advantage in solid or handdyed solid yarns. Shown in Apple Laine Apple Pie in the Deep Sea colorway, knit at 8 stitches to the inch in stockinette stitch on US 1's (2.25mm).